How we feel at work greatly affects our performance as well as our ability to work safely. One thing that affects whether or not we feel our best is the level of stress we experience while on the job. When discussing stress, the traditional two types of stress are often discussed. The two types are stress which is the good stress and there is distress which is negative stress. Stress on the job can be categorized as either unnecessary stress or motivating stress.

UNNECESSARY STRESS ON THE JOB

Unnecessary stress is exactly what it sounds like. It is a negative stress put upon workers unnecessarily. There is a lot of unnecessary stress created at work. Different sources create unnecessary stress.

Poor communication. Individuals who choose to yell, belittle, or disrespect others in the workplace create a lot of unnecessary stress.

Poor preplanning. Improper planning for work tasks impacts production schedules as well as creates more hazards for everyone involved in the task.

Bad leadership. Related to the above two sources of unnecessary stress, bad leadership creates a lot of unnecessary stress at work. Leadership does not automatically mean supervisors or managers. Experienced workers are also leaders.

MOTIVATING STRESS ON THE JOB

Motivating stress on the other hand is a positive stress. Motivating stress comes from different sources.

Wanting to perform for coworkers or supervisors. When employees work well together and respect on another they want to do the best job they can do for the benefit of everyone at the company.

A new task or procedure. When we get a new task or have to follow a new procedure it can be challenging. The challenge of a new work task or procedure should be viewed as a motivating stress and not a negative stress. Getting outside of your comfort zone is vital for growing.

COMMON EFFECTS STRESS ON THE BODY

• headache
• muscle tension or pain
• chest pains
• increased heart rate and blood pressure
• weakened immune system
• fatigue / insomnia
• stomach and digestive issues
• high blood sugar
• increased cholesterol and fatty acids in blood for energy production systems

UNTREATED LONG TERM (CHRONIC) STRESS HAS BEEN REPORTED TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH HEALTH CONDITIONS SUCH AS:

• anxiety
• insomnia
• muscle pain
• high blood pressure
• weakened immune system

COMMON TYPES OF STRESS AT WORK AND HOW TO MANAGE THEM.

Manage Time Stress

This is the most common type of stress at work.

• Do First. Tasks in this category should be your first priority.
• Schedule. This could be important tasks but are not so urgent.
• Delegate. Tasks in this section are not important but still urgent.
• Don’t do. Tasks in this category are neither important nor urgent. You can either do it when you have nothing else to do or not do it at all.

Manage – Manage Anticipatory Stress

This stress is associated with the feeling of anticipating the future a little too much.

Be Positive. The best way to deal with anticipatory stress is to not let fear get the best of you.

Be Prepared. Face the unknown and tackle it head on by visualizing both the best and worst case scenario.

Be Brave. Anticipatory stress is mostly caused by the thought of failure.

Manage Situational Stress

You can act out based on your behavior or on how your automatic response work in specific situations.

Be Self-Aware. The most important point is to be self-aware in whatever you will be doing.

Be Calm. Keep hold of your cool and use your head instead of your temper or emotions.

Be Patient. Be patient by hearing each side of the conflict before deciding how to solve it.

Manage Encounter Stress

This stress involves the feeling of being overwhelmed by meeting new or too many people.

Practice People Skills. Be confident with interacting with in people, so that you can take control of the situation.

Be Emphatic. Putting yourself in someone else’s shoes will make you understand them.

Breathe. Whenever stressed, it is important to breathe. Deep breathing has the ability to reduce stress in the body.

FINAL WORD

How much of the stress you are dealing with at work is unnecessary? How can it be eliminated? Are you a source of unnecessary stress for someone else at work? Eliminate unnecessary stress and embrace motivating stress to be a more efficient and safer worker.